A Father's Estimation
by Casa Circe
Summary: ZUTARA WEEK 2010 Day One: Family. An unexpected visitor on Ember Island brings a new perspective to the budding interest between Zuko and Katara. Enjoy.


**ZUTARA WEEK 2010: Day 1: FAMILY**

**A Father's Estimation**

**Disclaimer: **_**Avatar: the Last Airbender **_**belongs to Bryke, but Zutara week belongs to all Zutarians.**

_**NOTE: It's that time of year again, Zutara Week.**_

_**And even if it's my last year in University and I'm busy as hell and should be focusing on my studies, I am determined to find time to post something every day for this special week. Whoo! It's my third year in a row.**_

_**But since I'm pressed for time and creativity, please don't have such high expectations of me this year. There is so much I want to accomplish and only so much I can do.**_

_**Anyway, for all of my entries this year, Maiko does not exist. That's the condition. Zuko gently rejected Mai's advances and they remained very good friends. So she still helped him out at the Boiling Rock. That's that. It's Zutara week, give me a break.**_

_**This is set on Ember Island between "The Southern Raiders" and "The Ember Island Players".**_

_**Enjoy.**_

He had forgotten how beautiful it was here.

Since the last time he had visited Ember Island with Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee had been far from a happy occasion, Zuko had taken no pleasure in coming to the island again. But now, as he strolled alone across the beach, watching the moonlight on the gentle waves and listening to the faint whisper of the breeze, Zuko remembered why he had used to love coming here.

More important than the natural beauty of the island was the fact that all previous visits to it were memories of happier times, when his family had not yet been torn apart by circumstance. But it was impossible to retrieve all those happy days, not now, when so much had changed.

Now, the abandoned resting house of the Fire Lord was the shelter to the Avatar and his friends. The firebender pondered on the intricacies of fate that had led him back to this old house, abandoned by his family and now being used by his new one. For after the incident with the Southern Raiders, everyone in the Avatar's group had begun treating him like one of them, and he had never felt so welcomed and loved in his life.

Katara, in particular, seemed to have warmed up to him significantly after he helped her find her mother's killer. Now that she had looked past her anger at him, she was treating him with the greatest kindness he had ever known. And he was discovering that there was so much they had in common.

He was surprised at how much she had grown to trust him after giving him that hug of forgiveness and he had never been so grateful for anyone's friendship in his entire life. He valued her friendship now even more than the Avatar's, and he could not yet understand why.

But now was hardly the time to ponder on such things. They were all busy training and preparing for the day the comet would arrive. Aang's firebending was already quite impressive, but there was still much for him to learn before he faced the Fire Lord.

And yet, Zuko had noticed that all the stress and pressure of the coming days only served to make the group stronger, to reinforce the bonds they had already forged with one another all through their journey. Even he, a relative newcomer to their tight-knit family, seemed to be drawn into the heartfelt teamwork and earnest camaraderie of the Avatar and his friends.

Zuko had never realized that traveling with a group of people could be so pleasant. He had been too engrossed with himself and his so-called honor for the past few years that he had failed to appreciate the company of others, Iroh's especially.

The firebender sighed at the memory of his uncle and he hoped that there would be an opportunity for him to make amends.

His reverie was interrupted by some slight movement near the beach. Narrowing his eyes and moving carefully, he noticed a figure in the shadows, alighting from a small boat that had discreetly landed on the shore.

Zuko frowned and prepared himself to firebend, hiding behind a large rock. Who was this lone stranger? A spy from Azula or Ozai? How did they know where to find the Avatar?

As the hooded stranger approached, Zuko strained to get a better look but it was too dark. Deciding to take the risk of confronting the enemy alone, since the latter did not look too threatening anyway, Zuko lit a small fire in his hand and revealed himself to the intruder.

"Who are you?" he asked authoritatively and getting into a defensive position, "and why have you come here?"

"Zuko?" the man asked, taking down his hood.

The firebender's eyes widened in recognition and he dropped his guard immediately.

"Chief Hakoda?" the young man cried incredulously before sighing with relief.

The chief of the Southern Water Tribe grinned at the young man who had been instrumental in securing his freedom from the Boiling Rock. He had recognized Zuko immediately and he was glad that he had not bumped into any enemies.

"Forgive me," Zuko apologized hastily, glad that he hadn't fired so rashly this time, "I didn't know it was you."

"Don't worry about it," Hakoda reassured him, "my coming here is unexpected. But I just could not bear to be parted from my family for a long time again. Call me a foolish old man if you will, but I felt that I really needed to see my children. Not that I'm too worried about how things will turn out, but I've learned that in war, nothing is certain, and I didn't want to take any chances."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Zuko replied awkwardly, "it's perfectly natural for a father to want to see his children."

_Not that I would know anything about that_, Zuko added to himself.

"Come," Zuko offered to lead the way, "I'm sure Sokka and Katara will be so happy to see you."

"But not after they give me a scolding for coming all this way," Hakoda said good-naturedly, "I made sure that I wasn't followed. I may not be a master waterbender, but I have some tricks up my sleeve too. How do you think we avoided detection for so long?"

"I don't think anyone doubts your abilities," Zuko told the proud father, "and frankly, I think Katara will be glad to have another mature, responsible adult around."

Hakoda laughed at this and replied, "Oh, I don't really know about that. When you get to know me better, you'll see who Sokka takes after."

"Oh," was all Zuko said in reply, and Hakoda laughed at the firebender's reaction.

"Anyway, I'll show you to the house," the firebender offered with a smile.

"Thank you," Hakoda answered.

They walked together in companionable silence.

After meeting the son of the Fire Lord and hearing so many good things about him from Sokka and Aang, the water tribe chief had come to respect and esteem the young man, overcoming any suspicions and prejudices which he had previously (and justifiably) held. Zuko seemed to Hakoda to be a good young man, who had perhaps seen more hardships in life than most people were aware of.

The fact that he was willing to turn his back on his family in order to help the Avatar spoke volumes about his strength of character and also of the kind of treatment he received from his family. When Hakoda heard that the prince had been scarred and banished by his very own father, the chief felt a great sympathy for the young man.

For his part, Hakoda could not imagine what kind of father would treat his son so cruelly. He loved his children so much and he could never be that angry at them, no matter what.

But Hakoda figured that things were different in the Fire Nation, and this kind of behavior was probably why they had sustained a war for so long. People like that

They reached the house at last and all was quiet inside.

"I guess they're all still asleep," Zuko said, "but I can go and wake Sokka and Katara up if you like."

"No, that won't be necessary," Hakoda replied, "we'll all see each other in the morning anyway. Imagine the surprise when they all come down for breakfast and see me there."

"They'll be very glad to see you," Zuko told him, "I can show you to your room now so you can rest."

"Thanks, but I think I'll stay out here for a while longer," Hakoda answered, looking towards the moonlit sky, "it is beautiful out here. I've never seen anything like it."

"It is beautiful," Zuko agreed, facing the same direction.

"You're welcome to join me, if you'd like," Hakoda offered amicably.

"Really?" Zuko asked incredulously.

"Of course," Hakoda replied kindly, "and by the way, why are you still up when everyone else has turned in for the night?"

"Well, I was just thinking about things," Zuko replied gravely, "a lot of things."

Hakoda looked admiringly at the pensive young man and thought that he was mature beyond his years. He had gone through a lot in his short life.

"You're too serious, Zuko," the older man said, clapping a hand on the firebender's shoulder amiably, "if you're not careful, you'll age faster."

Zuko smiled gratefully, though he was not used to such a familiar gesture coming from someone so unconnected with him. Only Iroh had ever treated him thus.

"That's what they keep telling me," Zuko admitted, "but old habits are hard to shake off. Most of the time, I'm afraid I'm not much fun."

"You're even worrying about that," Hakoda said with a laugh, "you really are too serious. You remind me of Katara sometimes."

Zuko's eyes widened at the comparison before nodding with a small smile. Hakoda noticed the hesitation in his response and suddenly remembered that last time they were all together, Katara had not quite warmed up to the firebender, as everyone else had. The chief had found it strange that Katara of all people would be the coldest and most mistrustful of Zuko, but he had not questioned his daughter on the matter then. After all, she must have had her reasons.

"Are you and Katara getting along better now?" Hakoda asked apprehensively.

Zuko was surprised at the question but he figured that Hakoda had observed enough to be able to wonder.

"Yes, we're getting along fine now," he answered, "she finally forgave me for all the things I did to them in the past."

Zuko considered mentioning the incident with the Southern Raiders to the chief but decided against it as it would only bring up painful memories. Luckily, Hakoda didn't ask any more about how Katara came to think better of Zuko.

After talking about a few other mundane things, Zuko had an idea.

"I'm forgetting my manners, sorry," he began, "but would you care for some tea or something? I'm not as good as Uncle in making it but I can manage, I think."

"Tea would be great, thanks," Hakoda replied eagerly, astonished to receive such hospitable treatment from Zuko. The chief was learning that the young prince was full of surprises.

Zuko excused himself for a few minutes and soon returned with a pot of steaming hot ginseng tea and two cups. He poured one for Hakoda and one for himself.

"Mmm, this is really good," Hakoda praised him, "and I guess you firebenders never have to worry about cold cups of tea."

"Yes, I guess so," Zuko replied, "we can always heat the tea ourselves."

"Lucky you," Hakoda replied good-naturedly, "hot tea is always a great comfort on chilly nights like these."

They spent the next few moments in silence, sipping their tea contentedly, and watching the waves crash gently on the shore. Hakoda found that he enjoyed Zuko's company and that he wished the best for the young man who had done so many unexpected things.

For his part, Zuko felt honored and privileged to be spending time with the father of Sokka and Katara. He had never expected Hakoda to warm up to him so quickly and the older man had treated him with all the respect and esteem which Ozai never bothered to show. He did not know how he came to deserve such kindness.

"I enjoy times like these," Hakoda remarked, "quiet moments, when all is calm and the whole world seems to be at peace. I could be content to just sit here all night, savoring the serenity. I think you know what I mean."

"I do," Zuko replied earnestly, "though I didn't use to appreciate things like this. But Uncle taught me that we need time to sit still and reflect on the good things in life."

"You and your uncle were really close, weren't you?" Hakoda asked.

"He was more a father to me than my father ever was," Zuko replied sadly, "but I let him down and have yet to properly apologize for my stupid blunders."

"Don't worry about it, son," Hakoda said gently, causing Zuko to start at the word "son".

"I think your uncle knows you well enough to know that you would do the right thing," Hakoda continued, "and I'm sure that he is very proud of you."

Zuko nodded gratefully and did not know what else to say. They continued gazing at the moon and sipping their tea until they finished a whole pot. Zuko offered to get more and Hakoda did not refuse.

On his way back with another pot of tea, the firebender bumped into someone unexpectedly.

"What are you doing up so late, Zuko?" Katara asked, rubbing her eyes slightly, "you should rest."

Zuko was suddenly excited to see her, knowing that Hakoda was just outside the door. He knew she would be pleased to see her father again but he was not sure what he should do.

"Zuko?" Katara asked when Zuko had not answered her, "are you all right?"

"Oh, yes, I am, sorry," Zuko blurted out awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

Katara looked at him curiously, and she was suddenly wide awake. He seemed to want to say something and yet he could not find the words to express himself.

Zuko sighed. There was no point in delaying the news, after all. But he decided to show instead of tell.

"Come on," Zuko said, taking her arm and leading her out of the room, "there's someone here who'd like to see you."

"What are you talking about?" Katara asked incredulously as she followed his lead.

But the moment she caught sight of her father, the waterbender's eyes widened and when the surprise had worn out, she smiled such a smile that Zuko instantly felt glad that he had brought her there.

Father and daughter embraced in between tears of joy and laughter and Zuko watched the scene with a smile. When all had been explained to the waterbender and everything had been settled, they all sat down to talk some more.

Zuko was surprised that all the commotion still failed to wake the others but he was glad that Katara got to see her father first. He brought another cup and poured tea for everyone. But after a few minutes, he decided that the two should have time alone.

"I'll leave you two now," he said as he excused himself, "I'm sure you have much to talk about."

"Oh, but you don't have to go, Zuko," Katara protested politely, "you're like family now."

Hakoda said something to the same effect but he was glad that his daughter had brought it up. Zuko, for his part, looked so stunned and grateful at this statement that his eyes grew slightly moist. But he restrained himself and after expressing his gratitude at such treatment, he still left.

"You told me to get some rest," he said to Katara with a smile, "and I've been monopolizing your father for most of the night, anyway. You might not get a chance with him when Sokka wakes up."

Katara smiled at this and at last allowed him to go. All throughout this exchange, Hakoda was observing his daughter carefully.

"So it looks like you're getting along a lot better with Zuko than the last time," the father said, "he's a fine young, man and I like him, not only because he helped me escape from prison. Now that we've had the chance to talk, I've seen how much of a good person he is, and how well he turned out, in spite of his messy background."

"He is, he is," Katara agreed, "and we are getting along a lot better now. In fact, I keep wondering what had held me back from forgiving him for so long. In spite of all he had done to us in the past, I think I was still unfair to him when he first joined us."

"I'm not going to comment on that," Hakoda said, "but may I ask what made you change your mind?"

Although it was a topic that was sure to reopen some old wounds, Katara found it necessary to tell her father about the whole incident with the Southern Raiders and how Zuko had offered to help her gain closure for her mother's death.

Hakoda listened in wonder at the account and though it was not easy to talk about the past, he was glad that Katara had gotten over her grief, somehow. And he was surprised at how much Zuko had helped her get through this.

"He is definitely full of surprises," Hakoda commented after Katara talked, "but how did he know about your mother in the first place?"

"I kind of mentioned it when we were imprisoned together in Ba Sing Se," Katara explained.

And then, as she recalled that event, she also remembered another part of her conversation with Zuko.

"Come to think of it," she said, "when I talked about how the Fire Nation took my mother away from me, he said something like we had that in common."

"What do you think he meant?" Hakoda asked curiously, "then again, I haven't heard of the Fire Lady, only of the Fire Lord and Princess Azula. Maybe they killed his mother as well?"

"I never really asked him about that," Katara admitted, "and I don't know if I should."

"Well, whatever it means," Hakoda said, "he's been through a fair share of hardships and pain in his life, even if he is a member of royalty."

"He does seem happier now that he's with us," Katara said, "although he's still too serious sometimes. And stubborn too."

"Look who's talking," Hakoda teased, making Katara smile.

"Well, all right, so I guess we do have a lot more in common than I expected," she conceded with a smile.

"I never thought I'd say this of the son of the Fire Lord," Hakoda admitted, "but I like him, and I have a high respect for someone willing to betray his own family to be able to do the right thing. I think Aang was wise enough to see the good in Zuko long before any of you did."

"That's Aang, always seeing the best in people," Katara said with a smile.

"But that's what you're like too, Katara," her father told her.

"Not in this case," the waterbender admitted gravely, "I don't know why, but with Zuko, I let my anger cloud my judgment. But fortunately, I'm past that now."

"So you'll admit that now you do like him?" Hakoda asked carefully. The chief was growing more and more curious about the extent of his daughter's interest in the young firebender.

Zuko, he knew, thought very highly of Katara and was more than grateful for her friendship. Hakoda had now to find out how his daughter felt about the firebender. There was something between them that the chief was quite interested in.

"I do, I do like him," Katara answered in earnest, "I mean, everyone does now."

Hakoda was not quite satisfied with this reply but he decided not to push the matter tonight.

"Well, after all he has experienced," the chief commented, "I guess he has improved in essentials."

"No, I don't think so," Katara replied, to her father's puzzlement.

"I mean, his actions in the past were just greatly misguided," Katara explained, but seeming to speak to herself more to her father, "but in essentials, I believe he is as he ever was."

Hakoda then knew that his daughter liked the firebender more than she was willing to let on. And after what he had seen and heard that night, the father heartily approved of her choice.

**NOTE: So this turned out to be longer than I expected. There was supposed to be another event in here which I have transformed into my second entry for this prompt. Expect to see it posted today as well.**

**And sorry if a little line from my favorite 19****th**** century novel just crept in. That wasn't in the original plan, but once I thought of it, I could not help but add it in. Hope you liked this.**


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